Hello Again
by Fallingupsidedown
Summary: Anne is on a visit to Charlottetown with her bosom friend, but her bright days are shadowed by Jonsey's recent freedom. What happens when these two say hello again? (Because honestly it did not feel like they had enough of a resolution for that character.)
1. An Introduction in Four Parts

Charlottetown was bustling with noon day energy. The buzz of gossip flew through the air. But one piece of gossip lingered on the lips more than others - the outcome of the case involving a man named Jonesey. That particular gossip flitted its way up through the country side and landed in the newspaper that Rachel perused before flying off to Marilla's.

"Marilla! Marilla!"

The aforementioned woman quietly came to the door and prepared to accept and deflect what ever gossip her life long friend felt was necessary to deliver. Rachel herself did not stop even to take a breath. "That monster is out! I can't believe he was found innocent."

"Who Rachel?"

"Why that devil of a man who boarded up with you last winter." Rachel waved around the paper wildly before Marilla snapped up the paper and flattened the creases. Quickly skimming the article it became clear that their worst fears were found to be true. Some how the conman had done it again. He claimed to not have been a part of the conspiracy, that the other man framed him. While Marilla was disappointed that the jury could have been taken in by his charm and whit, what happened had happened, and nothing could be undone.

Rachel suddenly noticed the lack of feet flying through the rooms and the voice that constantly chatted even when it seemed that all the words in the world had been exhausted. "How do you think Anne will react when she hears the news?"

"I imagine she won't be particularly happy." Marilla continued to knead the dough of the bread she was preparing to bake.

"Where is Anne?"

"She's out in Charlottetown visiting Diana's Aunt Josephine again. She'll come back with a million tales that's for sure. Last time she was only away for a day or two and she came back with enough stories that she told a different one every night for a month."

"Girl's imagination has a way of going and running away with her."

"Certainly, but I've grown accustomed to it and I quite like it now."

Rachel sipped at a cup of tea. "Be sure to tell me the most interesting ones won't you?"

"Of course." The two shared a smile that passes through time without being fully explained like true friendship. It exists and it goes between two people as a language all its own.

* * *

Diana was awoken by a gentle humming. In her own home back in Avonlea this was such an uncalled for and unusual sound that it startled her right out of her head and she nearly flew up out of the bed.

As she quickly looked around the room she spotted the source of the sound, and her heart slowed down to a normal beat. She was in Charlottetown and Anne was of course greeting the day in the kind of way only she could - with a song that filled her up so much it spilled out into the world.

"What are you humming?" Diana's voice was gentle but Anne turned with a start.

"Oh Diana I am ever so sorry for waking you up if you didn't mean it. I was just thinking about the day - doesn't this look like a beautiful day - the kind where magical and monumental things happen - the kind on which anything is possible."

Diana looked out the window, the sun was shining and the trees stood as tall and beautiful sentries out in the yard. Yes today did in fact look like a beautiful day. "What do you want to do first?"

"I thought maybe we could go into town … you know see if anything catches our eye for a story. I've also been told that coffee shops make for an excellent space of writing."

"Wouldn't you get distracted by all the noise?"

"Maybe so, but then again what if someone walked by and said the absolute most perfect sentence, a sentence so eloquent that I could never had dreamed up such a similar phrase even if I had tried for a million years. I would die for that kind of inspiration."

Diana sighed, pushed the blankets back and away from herself. "Then I guess we must go at once to the cafe."

Anne's grin split her face open and the joy she found in everything poured out. "Yes we must."

* * *

Bash needed help with a few things back in Charlottetown. So, of course he said he would come over and help. It might be summer and school might be out of session until after the harvesting season, but Gilbert couldn't study all day every day. Even the good Lord rested on the seventh day. So, he might as well put his hands to good use and help his friend/brother with the home he currently shared with his wife.

Stepping off the train he smelled the familiar odor of the town, and for a moment wondered if there was ever a place better suited for living than the country side. Avonlea greeted him with the perfume of the grasses and the promise of a world open wide. Charlottetown had the odor of horse dung and the limited range provided through gaps between buildings.

So … maybe big towns weren't his favorite thing in the world. But as he walked along the streets he spotted a wild red flower in the midst of this city. Anne and Diana were both sitting at a cafe, writing away in notebooks. He couldn't help himself, not even if he tried. Walking over he asked "What are you two working on so intently?"

"Gilbert!" Anne almost jumped out of her chair and tipped over her glass of tea.

Diana just chuckled away beside her. "Hello Gilbert. We're working on constructing a few stories of our own."

"Writing away your summer break? Very interesting."

Anne stuck up her nose. "Well what brought you out this way?"

"I'm here to help Bash with a few things around his house."

"Oh yes!" Anne's eyes glazed over as she thought about the romantic wedding ceremony they had attended earlier that year. "Bash and Mary make the most wonderful couple."

"They most certainly do." They all stared at each other for a moment and before the pause could be considered awkward, Gilbert tipped his cap. "I'll be on my way. Hope you two have a good time writing your stories. Maybe I'll see you around before I leave."

"When do you head back to Avonlea?"

"In another day or two I should think. Bash doesn't need help with major repairs just some simple things that need more than two hands."

"I wish you the best of luck." Anne said and as Gilbert walked away a smile tugged at the corners of his face.

* * *

He was a free man - a free penniless man - but freedom was the key word to hold onto. He'd set out and try to capture that life he so desperately dreamed of having while in Avonlea. The sweet love and appreciation of a town and something better than the rough edges of the street corners. He wanted the wide open air and the fields that called for you to run through them.

But he was penniless - well almost penniless. With a few dollars he stumbled into a local bar and began to drown his sorrows, hoping that when he woke up he would have a better plan of what to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

After the coffee shop the two girls wondered down the street. To pass the time Diana suddenly had the most wonderful idea. "The Library Anne. We simply must go to the library!"

"A place with books to check out for free? Yes, Diana that sounds like the kind of place for me!"

Diana stopped in the road for a moment. "Well it's not exactly what you're thinking of. They certainly have books, but they aren't free to the public. It's a club membership. Aunt Josephine has a membership so we can use her name to get in." Looking at the crest fallen face of her friend Diana reached out a hand and comfortingly rubbed her shoulder. "What's wrong Anne?"

The structure in front of them was of a medium height. The stones were worn down by age and weather. The whole sight seemed to suggest that time had graced the edges of the building in an attempt to mold it into something new altogether. Anne gave a worn weary sigh and said, "Think of all the books inside. All the worlds and journeys that could give hope to so many people, could take people on journeys far away from their problems. But they can't. They're stuck, locked away for the privileged to see. But the privileged don't need it Diana. Everyone needs the wonders hidden away inside this magnificent building, this stone inprisonment."

Diana squeezed her hand tightly and sighed. "Maybe it will change one day. Anything is certainly possible."

"Certainly" said Anne, with a nod of such determination it was like she'd looked into the future and seen herself setting up the first public library. "Certainly in fact I believe it will happen soon, very soon."

Inside they wondered amongst the rows of books, spines displayed the titles of hundreds of names that Anne had never imagined before, but which contained such words as filled her mind with wonder. She would have sat there for a whole day just pondering the author's intent of one of those titles, but she couldn't give herself the luxury when there were twenty more to go through. The world seemed endless inside that room. There was so much to see and do, to read and imagine.

I guess that's why the afternoon quickly slipped into early evening and then the girls were found in the stacks by the matron of the place. She whispered, "we'll be closing shortly. Do you know which books you'd like to select?"

Anne almost fainted from the thought of consolidating her selection down to just a handful of books, but then she set to the task. She chose the one with the most scrumptious looking title.

Together Diana and Anne walked arm and arm out into the street.

Diana's stomach growled as Anne gave a harty laugh. "Would you like to find some place for dinner now or wait until we get back to Aunt Josephine's?"

"We should hurry back. Josephine will be wondering what's taken us all day."

For a moment Anne's eyes widened as she imagined what kind of reaction they'd get out of the elderly woman, but then she shook her head. "She'll understand when we tell her about the library. One could get lost in there for days Diana. I swear if they did not have to close the place I would live there! Nourished on the comfort of the words I would never have to set food out into the world again I swear I have found my home."

Diana giggled and the two girls headed up towards the road that led out and up to the hill Josephine had planted her home on.

But the road leading out of town was populated by another sort of individual, and Jonessey was missing his steps as he tried to maneuver down the road. Lost and confused he was looking for any point of reference. In his hazy half conscious state he suddenly recognized the hat.

Brown, bent at the edges, faded ribbon, it was quite a drab hat to cover such fiery hair. Sure enough, there was the girl who always smiled, right beneath the hat, the girl who once made him believe that he was good enough to hope for something better than the life of a swindler and a crook.


	3. Chapter 3

"Anne!" It did not actually sound like a name and that's why Anne didn't respond. There were no discernible syllables within that strangled and garbled cry. So she didn't turn around.

She did give Diana a strange look, but then the two girls giggled like little girls do. Especially little girls who are caught up in an adventure and are blissfully unaware of the perils a dark street contain. Certainly Anne knew of the dark things a street can have waiting around a corner, but here in Charlottetown, here in the company of a friend who had only ever known the grace of a privileged life, here Anne felt beyond safe. It was a lull, that's how she described it to herself when she tried to understand what happened later. Being with Diana was like getting to breathe during a lull in a storm. She didn't have to over think about her surroundings. She didn't have to worry about being caught by one of the people at the orphanage when she went on the street. Here, arm looped through Diana's, she was in her own private slice of heaven.

That's why that strangled cry had no meaning. How could something like that break into her most perfect day?

But the shattering of her expectations could not be ignored. A thick and beefy hand reached out, grasping her shoulder, pulling her out of sync with Diana, and with a garbled voice he said, "Anne! I am ever so happy to have found you."

Looking up Anne recognized the face. Yes, Jonesey had grown out his facial hair, yes he had a new limp that seemed awful painful to walk on for too long. But even through the changes Jonesey's bright eyes came through, his voice even encumbered by drink, lilted with its own unique cadence.

"Mr. Dunlop What are you doing here?" Anne surprised even herself that the words came out in a clean line. Her heart was beating so wildly and crazily that she was certain the heart's erratic rhythm would interfere with her lung's attempt at pushing out breath to make words.

"I've been released didn't you hear? The good people found me innocent of the charges. I mean how could they not? I was conned just like the rest of you. Nate was certainly the worst there was."

"I'm happy to hear that about you Mr. Dunlop. But -"

Suddenly Diana's arms were widely slashing out against Jonesey's arm that gripped the shoulder of her dress. "Let her go! You monster let her go now!" Diana was terrified and her only thought was of freeing Anne and getting away. But Diana missed the especially glazed look in Jonsey's eye. Didn't have the experience like Anne to walk gently around those who were in such a state.

Jonsey was so startled by Diana's onslaught that he reacted on instinct. He released Anne's dress and then with his full focus on Diana, he pushed her to the ground. Looming over her Diana's mind scuttled through tragedies about little girls or women who were attacked in the streets.

But before Diana was lost in Jonesey's shadow, Anne took up her whole view. She stepped in front of her fallen friend, looking strong and certain. Arms outstretched and head held high when she spoke her voice was unwavering, like she found a new well of strength from which to draw her courage. "Mr. Dunlop Stop! You don't want to hurt her."

Jonessey stumbled sideways, shaking his head. Anne's words seemed to make sense. Certainly he didn't want to hurt the little girl on the ground. No, that's not what he wanted to do. But then … what did he want?

"Anne I just need to talk to you."

"Okay." She sounded out the word slowly. Seemingly to debate it while she said it. "We can talk, but you have to make sure that you don't try and hurt Diana again."

Jonesey nodded his head. Reaching around Anne he pushed his hand down towards Diana to help her up, but she didn't spare it a second glance. Pushing herself to a standing position again Diana stood behind Anne and was close enough to hear the girl whisper. "Go back to Aunt Josephine's. I'll try and slip away back to the house, but go get the butler. He could take Jonesey."

"Oh no! I couldn't leave you here! I just couldn't! There's no telling what he could do."

"I'll try and stall him, we won't make it very far, especially in his condition. Just hurry!"

Diana knew she couldn't think about it too long or her feet would suddenly become stuck to the ground, and she'd never have the energy or the courage to go and get help.

So she didn't let herself think. When Anne said hurry Diana balled her hands into fists, turned, and began pounding her feet against the ground. Away from the street, and up the road towards Aunt Josephine's. Anne slipped away behind her, but in her heart Diana swore an oath she'd never break. _I'll be back for you! We'll save you!_


	4. Chapter 4

Of course the thing about Anne is that she is never one who believed she needed saving. She could accept the help of another, but for the most part she was self sustaining, and even in this situation she couldn't imagine things differently. Jonesey might be bigger and stronger, but she was Anne-Shirley Cuthbert and that name meant something.

Jonesey kept his grip on the shoulder of her dress, but Anne's sharp eyes were keeping track of his every movement. Her body was tensed to make a run for it when the opportunity presented itself.

Suddenly he stopped walking after they had rounded a corner and were on a slightly dimmer street. Staring down at her, it almost seemed like he had a brief moment of clarity. "I don't like the way you're looking at me." Anne narrowed her eyes, angry that this man could say he was unhappy with her when he was the thing that had come in and destroyed her life. In fact he was the last person she ever wanted to see. Maybe she would have broken away and punched and bit her way out of anything he tried to pull, but then he started talking again with a deep undertone to his voice that caught her off guard.

"You made me think I could be something better than I was. You know - running with that charlatan, I didn't believe I was anything better than the next con job I could pull. But when you said you were my little sister, when we baked together, when you gave me that apron … Anne you made me realize there is so much more to life than the next job. There's something slower and more profound in the little things." Releasing his grip from her dress he cupped Anne's cheek in his rough palm. The calloused fingers easily running over her smooth skin and sending chills down Anne's spine.

He meant it as an endearing gesture. Instead Anne couldn't help but think of the same feeling as he tied her up and left her in Green Gables. The rough cords of the rope digging into her skin, the wide panic in Marilla's eyes, the stuttering heart in her chest. Those rough fingers were a reminder of all the horrible things that made up one of the worst day of her life.

"Then why did you let him do it? Why did you let him swindle the whole town!"

Anne's voice cracked as Jonesey's face split into a frown. He couldn't find the words in his muddled brain, and Anne had found the courage to move her feet. She turned to run as fast as possible, away from him and the memories he made her relive.

But Jonesey couldn't let her go. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Extending his arm, desperately grasping to hold on to the light he hoped would redeem him, he swung too wide and too hard. The alcohol in his blood confusing his senses and instead of grabbing hold of Anne's arm he roughly pushed her down into the dirt. Head first Anne tumbled end of end, a stray piece of wood catching the side of her head. It cut the skin, spilling her blood down the side of her face, seeping under the collar of her dress, soaking into the fabric, dripping into the ground like raindrops too thick for the soil to absorb.

Jonesey's hands were shaking, refusing to accept the sight before him, but unable to deny the pitiful whimpers of a broken child, he turned back to the street, stumbling forward. He shouted "Doctor! I need a Doctor! HELP ME!"


	5. Chapter 5

In the bog the sun rose to find Sebastian greeting the day with a smile. His most beautiful wife was next to him, the sun slipping through the window and illuminating her like an angel caught in a sunbeam. He could hear the steady snore of his best friend from the other room, and with a deep intake of breath that was laced with the fine particles of coal, he remembered how happy he was in this moment.

He imagined the perfect day. They would get up and Mary would prepare breakfast, Sebastian would try and help, and they would forcibly keep Gilbert from trying to help with anything. The boy had a heart of gold but the cooking ability of a small child who had never heard of the concept of a stove or spices before. Then after breakfast they'd work around the house, get it fixed up before selling it and moving everyone officially into the farm out in Anvonlea.

Yes, today Sebastian knew that everything would be great.

They managed to get to the great breakfast he'd imagined before the day took a turn.

A sharp and commanding bang came from the door. Sebastian stood up, wondering who could need them this early in the morning. Outside stood a tall bald headed white man and a young girl he thought almost looked familiar. "Blythe, I think these people might be for you."

With a confused look Gilbert pushed away from the table and out the window he spotted Diana. Her hat was on askew and she wrung her hands together as if they were about to fall off. Pulling the door open so fast a small gust of wind dimmed the candles on the table, Gilbert rushed outside. "Diana are you okay?"

She opened her mouth, she was ready to explain it all and ask for help, but the words were stuck in her throat. They were such a garbled mess that she wasn't sure how to get them out in the right order. Thankfully the butler knew just what to do. "Anne is presently missing Mr. Blythe and we have come to ask for your assistance in our search for her."

Gilbert's face drained of all color, and Sebastian assumed this must be what a ghost looked like.

"Of course. Of course. Let me get my coat and then I'll help at once."

Sebastian followed Gilbert over to the coat rack and offered to help search and then Mary too stood up to offer her services. Together they made a search party, looking for Anne in any of the nooks and crannies they could find.


	6. Chapter 6

Gilbert stumbled up the path towards Aunt Josephine's house. He knew he could have searched for another year without getting tired but it wasn't his energy that was lacking, it was his heart. Looking in abandoned street corner after abandoned street corner was chipping away at the shell of his heart. If they didn't find Anne soon his emotions would soon be raw and open.

Pushing past the door and into Aunt Josephine's parlor he found what could have been mistaken for a wax museum.

"Anything?" Josephine's parchment voice rippled through them.

Gilbert couldn't manage the words and so he only shook his head.

From the rest of the room he could tell they didn't have any ideas either.

"We won't give up hope yet. Although I do think Marilla should be informed." With


	7. Chapter 7

The light filtered into the hospital room through curtains, but that did nothing to dim the brightness stinging Anne's eyes. She blinked rapidly for a few minutes, wondering where she could be. The sterile walls and white sheets clued her into the fact that it was probably a hospital. Turning over to the other side she spotted Jonesey in the chair next to her. His snores were light and consistent like an ocean breaking on the shore. Except they didn't sooth Anne, instead she tried pushing back the sheets to sneak away.

But when she stood the room suddenly tilted. Trying to grab on to anything to break her fall she connected with a loose tray on the table next to the bed. The metal clattered to the ground with her and the cacophony woke Jonesey in a blubbering motion of sound.

"Wha … Where …" He stood and found Anne on the floor. He shook his head to wake up and walked around. "Come now, you can't get out of bed yet."

He tried to take the girl's arm and help to lift her up, but Anne pushed him away with what little strength she had. "Stay away from me." Fumbling backwards she grabbed the tray and held it in front of her like a shield.

"Now now child, that's not necessary." He wanted to see her smile and laugh again. But backed into the corner she seemed more like an animal desperate to hide away from a cruel master.

Suddenly the door opened and a nurse with a nasally voice came in. "Sir I told you to wait outside. She is not well enough to have you in here yet."

"She's my sister. I need to be here."

"No I'm not!" Anne yelled from her spot on the floor. "We are not related! Please get him out of here."

The nurse's head swiveled between the two people for a moment. She didn't want to even begin to unravel the family drama before her. Best to just remove the first problem. "Sir, wait outside for now."

"No take him far away!"

The nurse tuned her out as she lead the man outside and when she safely found him a chair she raced off to get the doctor. It was going to be an interesting day in the hospital for sure.


	8. Chapter 8

The doctor came out of the girl's room with a confused look and the nurse jumped up to get the news. "What'd she say?"

Checking to make sure the man who had been with the girl was safely out of earshot down the hallway he sighed. "I can't tell who's telling the truth and who isn't. She's certain they're not related. Instead she said she's here visiting with a friend of … Ms. Barry."

The nurse gasped. "That woman doesn't take to children well. Like oil and water she always seems with them." As a great patron of many things Ms. Barry had been known to donate to the hospital, but her visits rarely strayed into the children's section.

"That's what she's claiming."

"Should we send someone over to Ms. Barry's home?" The nurse was already looking for a piece of paper to write a note on.

"I don't think we should do it yet. Don't want to bother the good woman yet with something as tall a tale as this." He hummed to himself for a moment. "She said something else about being adopted and living at a place called Green Cables … no Green Gables I think it was. Let's send a letter there first. She'll need to stay a few days here anyway so there is no point in bothering Ms. Barry until we have sorted out the rest of her story."

The nurse nodded. She quickly penned a letter that the post man put into a pile, and the pile was eventually moved into corresponding bags. One of those bags eventually made it onto a post master's horse that went out to Avonlea. This man though didn't ride like the world depended on it. He carried out his job as dutifully as possible. He might have finished a little earlier if he hadn't had to stop and keep his horse from getting spooked when a passing wagon nearly ran him off the road. An elderly couple was in the driver's seat, the woman held her shaw in a death grip and the older man's bowler hat seemed to nearly fly off his head for how fast he'd whipped the horses up.

Of course the mail man didn't know those where the owners of Green Gables that he'd passed or that he could have saved himself a stop by delivering their letter then and there.

Oh well, he left the mail in the usual spot for them to find upon their return.


	9. Chapter 9

Anne rested on her side, thinking about the way the wallpaper was peeling in the corner of the room. She had already tried to imagine how the story she'd picked out of the library might have gone if she'd ever had the chance to read it, but that didn't happen. Instead it was another minute away from her loved ones and locked up by people who were supposedly helping her. _Let me out of here!_ That would be the best medicine.

The door squeaked open, and Anne opened her mouth to plead with the Doctor once again to send a message to Aunt Josephine herself, although she wasn't sure why Marilla hadn't come yet. She should be here any day now to weep at her bed side and bemoan the the fate that has befallen her precious daughter. At least Anne could imagine all of it in her mind.

But the doctor didn't come through the door. Instead it was Jonsey's sheepish face, hat held between his hands. "Anne."

"Get out!" She started yelling, hoping to get the attention of someone. "Get out!"

Jonesey rushed up to her shushing. "Just hear me out and then I'll go. I've put you through too much, and I know I need to go my own way. I'll do what ever I can for you, but just listen to me for a minute."

She looked up at him with an expectant look. "You don't have much time before I start screaming again."

Jonesey pulled a chair up to the bed and sighed. "I'm sorry Anne. You can't imagine how sorry, or what life's been like for me. I just mean that I've been through a lot and it's not an excuse for making bad choices, but I did. Then with you I saw what could have happened if I might have made the right choices and I just … I wanted it so badly. I wanted to take away all the mistakes I'd ever done and start over fresh. I'm so sorry Anne. Please forgive me."

This man didn't deserve forgiveness. He'd committed a heinous act against the whole town and it was the epitome of evil that inhabited the hidden places of the human heart.

But a tear fell from his eye and maybe it was the quiet of the moment, the stillness of the sun through the curtains, but Anne's imagination caught her in a peculiar way. She imagined she could see into the hidden places of Mr. Dunlop's heart and yes there was the hard and evil portion that thought the world was his to conquer and take from irregardless of others. But there, behind those horrible expectations was something pure. The child like innocence that Jonesey was required to bury all those years ago when the world turned him away, when he couldn't find the shelter that would have told him he was wanted and loved, that the world was a good place if you let it help you.

In that place Anne saw a mirror and she asked herself what she would have become without the Cuthberts?

Reaching out a hand she placed it on Jonsey's shoulder and whispered. "I forgive you Mr. Dunlop."

The quiet weeping of the man filled the room.


	10. Chapter 10

The message was delivered on the fifth day of the search for Anne and it read simply.

_The young Anne can be found at the hospital on 8__th__ street. She is under the care of Dr. Christophe_.

Everyone ran to the window after the Butler delivered the message to Aunt Josephine, but none of them could see a trace of the man that had come.

The kids were running off first, ready to find their friend. Marilla would have been right behind them if she'd been younger. Instead she waited for Aunt Josephine to have the carriage made up for them to go into town.

Anne for her part was finally sleeping easily and Dr. Christophe was hopeful she'd start to recover as he'd hoped.

But as nothing with this patient had gone to plan he wasn't sure why he'd begun to hope for it.

As he shut the door on his sleeping patient he was immediately accosted by two young people. One was dressed finely in a white lace dress, the other was dressed in a more working man's attire but their faces mirror the anxious anxiety of many people he'd see come to wait on their loved ones.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Oh yes." Diana said. "We're here to see our friend Anne. Is she here?"

"Well …" He was at a loss for words. Anne had finally gone to sleep, he'd hate to let people in there to stop her progress.

Then two more people were running up. Sebastian and Mary were panting but smiling. "Is she here?" Sebastian turned the question to Blythe.

"We're still trying to figure that out." They all turned an expectant eye to the doctor.

"Well I -"

"Gilbert! Diana! Sebastian!" An elderly woman and a man coming up behind her were now crowding around the door. "Do we know where she is?"

They all turned to Dr. Christophe. There was no holding back a ground like this. "She's right here."

He opened the door and inside he could tell she was already awake again. The commotion of it all got through the door and woke her up. "But you can't stay for long. She needs her rest."

He was talking to the air. They'd already pushed into the room and were asking questions and demanding answers. The smiles and laughter were good, maybe the best medicine.

"Doctor" the voice was aristocratic and demanded attention. He turned to find Ms. Barry standing next to him. Her butler at her side and her cane grasped in both hands. "How is she?"

"She should make a full recovery. She hit her head hard and so it can be difficult to know exactly how each individual will respond to such an event. She seems strong though."

"Oh she is" Ms. Barry said with a smile. "She is one of the best there is. Thank you for all your help." It was the nicest smile he'd ever seen grace the woman's face.


End file.
